Category : Lifestyle Tips

Yes, it’s the better-tasting cherry (we love a little zing), but it’s also loaded with nutrients. These nutrients make it especially beneficial for the average person. Like apple cider vinegar, this may be something you want to work into your daily life.

Why? Well, because it can help with something we all hold dear to our hearts — SLEEP. That’s right: nutritionists connect this dark red beauty with better sleep. But that’s a little vague, right?

Vague, yes, but still true. In fact, science supports these babies and makes a case for their role in daily life.

Let’s take a look at some of the evidence.

Tart Cherries and Improved Sleep

They can help increase melatonin levels.

This body chemical is sometimes confused with melanin, which is a skin pigment. They’re not related, so there’s your FYI — don’t be that person. Instead, this molecule helps regulate sleep. How so? Well, your body produces an increased amount of this towards your bedtime. Production helps lull you down and eventually, knocks you out for the night.

So, if your eyes feel a little heavier as the sun goes down, now you know why. Melatonin helps control your circadian rhythm. No, that’s not a Fortnite dance the kids are doing; it’s the process that your body uses to rest. Think of it as your internal clock that usually follows the day cycle. The sun goes down and you’re ready to catch some z’s, the sun comes up and you’re ready to go.

At least, that’s how things are supposed to work. Yet, many of us still lay awake at the wee hours of the night. Then we drag our knuckles throughout the morning like a zombie looking for brains. Instead, we’re not looking for brains, we’re hoping for our pillows.

That’s where supplements come in. Many look to pills and potions to help them remedy bedtimes issues. For those who would like a more natural supplement, that’s where tart cherries come in. Medical studies have shown this cherry can help increase melatonin-production. In fact, one European Journal of Nutrition study showed measurable changes.

The double-blind study followed 20 volunteers over 7 days. Participants drank either tart cherry juice concentrate or a placebo. Researchers collected urine samples, testing for signs of the molecule.

And what did they find? Surprise, surprise: the cherry drinkers melatonin-content increased, while the placebo showed no change. What does the increase mean?

That brings us to our next point…

Cherry concentrate can help boost sleep efficiency.

Again, it sounds vague, but it’s still true. The European study didn’t just tally chemical-ranges, it accounted for sleep quality too. Volunteers answered sleep quality questionnaires and special sensors monitored actual sleep. Both methods showed the same thing — people slept better with daily doses of the concentrate. More accurately, they slept for longer hours in this case.

Researchers in Spain found a similar correlation in a 2013 study. Ages for this placebo-controlled study ranged from 20 to 85-years-old. Across all these ages, participants showed measured success. Those who drank tart cherry concentrate daily showed reported better sleep. Their activity patterns exemplified this: less sudden awakenings during sleep and more shut-eye.

The report also focused on sleep latency, which means how long it takes to fall asleep. Can you guess what happened? Yup, participants reported (and data showed) falling asleep quicker during their trial. Falling asleep easier and less instances of randomly waking up at 3 AM? Count us in.

This sour fruit’s potential effectiveness has many in the health world. That brings us to our next point.

It may able to help those with sleep disorders in the future.

If the tart cherry can benefit the average person’s sleep cycle, can it help those with sleep disorders? Signs are looking positive, but lack extensive research. Research might be far and few between, but there’s still hope.

The American Journal of Therapeutics recently published a pilot study focusing on patients with insomnia. Researchers hoped the fruit could one day be a natural alternative to sleep-inducing drugs. So, is that what they found?

Unfortunately, the correlation could not go that far. But, those who ingested a cherry concentrate daily (as opposed to the placebo) found improvement. Their monitored sleep time increased by a little over an hour and thirty minutes (83 minutes). We know every minute counts, so that’s pretty cool.

Interestingly enough, researchers also noted an increase in tryptophan-availability. This chemical helps your body produce the mood-enhancing neurotransmitter serotonin. This makes sense because serotonin is also associated with melatonin. Think about it like this: how many times has your night’s rest (or lack thereof) affected your mood the next day?

A Very Cherry Recipe

Enticed? Of course you are. Here’s a fun little way to get some cherry-love in your life. Use our Organic Tart Cherry Extract to create this refreshing recipe.

Tart Cherry Red Wine Spritzer

Wine and cherries are two of our favorite things, so naturally we love this recipe by Running to the Kitchen. Add seltzer in the mix and a rosemary for garnish, and you got yourself a holiday drink (or any time, really).

Apple cider vinegar is taking the health world by storm and for good reason! Out of all the different kinds of vinegars, it is the one that can boost some of the highest amounts of vitamins and minerals. That’s why Pure Planet makes not just one but TWO refreshing, yet nutritious blends.

Vinegar might not be the first thing that comes to mind when hear the word “refreshing,” but Pure Planet has been around long enough to know that when can make something healthy taste delicious it’s a lot easier to drink it every day.

Focusing on two of its most potent properties, the family-owned company created Apple Cider Probiotic and Alkalizer. Both blends contain whole-food ingredients that target specific functions and taste buds.

Conveniently, the two dry-mix beverages have long shelf lives and don’t require refrigeration.

Probiotic ǀ Lemon Flavor

You’re probably already hip to probiotics, but if you aren’t they are beneficial microorganisms that help aid digestion, boost immune function, increase nutrient absorption and keep harmful pathogens from overgrowth. Apple cider vinegar naturally contains probiotic enzymes, because it originates from fermented apples. Fermentation breaks down nutrients and makes them more easily digestible.

Pure Planet boosts those digestion benefits by including a well-researched probiotic strain, bacillus coagulans, plus ginger and turmeric into its blend for extra gut support. Together, the Probiotic formula helps promote digestive health with a pleasant lemon for flavor.

Alkalizer ǀ Cherry Flavor

Here’s a quick lowdown on alkalinity: it’s the acidic measurement for foods, drinks and the body, referred to as the pH level. Ranging from 1 (Acidic) – 10 (Alkaline), a smaller pH number is said to be more prone to illness and disease with neutral in-between. Nutritionists believe a healthy body should be a bit more Alkaline (7sih).

Drinking Pure Planet’s Alkalizer can be another way to offset acidity and provide the body with pH balance. This mix is blended with powerhouse superfoods beets and cherries to support healthy blood circulation and immune function. Plus, it tastes like cherry fruit punch without the sugar and excessive calories.

Pure and True Since ‘92

Pure Planet’s Apple Cider Vinegar is non-GMO, USDA certified Organic and sustainably-farmed. Learn more about the products and the local Long Beach California company at pureplanet.com.

Growing up, we followed the 4 R‘s: reduce, reuse, recycle and Rihanna. Okay, maybe it was only 3 three “R’s,” but who can remember those days for sure.

Our point is that we disposed of our bottles in the correct bins, turned off lights in rooms that weren’t occupied and turned off the water faucet as we brushed our teeth. We felt good doing so and these little tasks made a big difference. For most of us, these habits have followed us into adulthood.

These days, the environmentally-friendly landscape is totally different in an exciting way. With more companies feeling the “green” wave, it’s become easier to make more conscientious decisions that can benefit the planet.

Sometimes it can be a little confusing, and a little frustrating as you are only one person. But that’s all it takes.

Watching our hometown of Long Beach, CA come together for #BYOLBC inspired us to participate in the #ChooseToReuse campaign, too.

Learn how you can improve your eco-friendly practices with the list below and check in with Pure Planet’s best practices.

Ways to Be More Eco-Friendly

Swap out one use-products for something that can be evergreen.

One-use items end up sitting in landfills or even worse, in our oceans. Take a second to think what one-use items can be swapped out for multi-use items.

Here are some ideas:

Use cloth napkins instead of paper ones. After drying your hands or cleaning counters and surfaces, cloth can easily be washed and reused.

Opt for reusable glass or metal containers and utensils for food and drink needs.

Invest in cloth grocery bags instead of plastic or paper bags. Cloth bags can be used over and over again. Buy some and stash in your car.

Re-purpose Pure Planet containers as storage for office stationery, or for holding kitchen, bathroom, and home essentials.

Be more mindful with clothing.

Did you know you could be eco-friendly with clothing? Not many people think about how the industry affects the environment, but keeping with the trends has a heavy cost. Unfortunately, Mother Nature is the one that pays.

So, what exactly does the industry contribute? For starters, clothing is usually made from fabric constructed by crops or animals. That by itself is one big factor. In fact, Huffington Post reports that cotton fields use more chemical pesticides than any other crop!

In addition to creating waste, production and manufacturing can release harmful greenhouse gases.

So, how do you rectify all that? The first step is being more thoughtful in your shopping. Here are some ways to do practice more efficiently:

Head to the thrift shop. Thrifting is a good for two reasons: you can donate your clothes to someone else to use and you can buy used clothing too.

Search online. It’s 2018! There are tons of companies that sell used clothes and even some that rent out clothes for a short time, using the same boxes to and from.

Buy staple pieces. If used clothing doesn’t interest you, make sure to buy clothes you will use for a long period of time.

Cut your meat consumption.

Some experts believe that living a more vegan or vegetarian lifestyle can greatly impact environmental conservation (in addition to the health benefits of veggies and plants). This is because how much the meat industry effects environmental factors such as greenhouse gas emissions and climate change.

In fact,Time suggests that a dietary shift in the food sector could account for a 63% (vegetarian) to 70% (vegan) cut in emissions. That’s major! But it makes sense. After all, Science reports that meat and dairy make up 60% of agriculture’s greenhouse gas emission.

And what’s more? The Independent reports that that the diet could also contribute to less industrialization of wild land due to agriculture, which is a huge factor in the extinction of wildlife.

Going full vegan might not be an option for whatever reason, but you can still be friendly to the cause:

Only buy meats from companies that practice sustainable farming.

Try making one meal a day plant-based.

Meal-prep and/or properly preserve meats to discourage waste.

But if we’re going to ask you take steps, we should at least tell you what we’ve been up to as well.

Plant something!

When you grow ANY plant (for the most part), you are helping clean the environment. Get your hands dirty and reduce pollution and the amount of C02 in our planet’s atmosphere with some natural photosynthesis. Be sure to search the web for tress, vegetables, flowers and other plants that thrive in your local area.

Pure Planet Initiative

Earlier this year, we here at Pure Planet decided to evaluate our own practices.

Saving Water + Cuttings Environmental Damage

You may have noticed that our refreshing blends, like Best of Greens, don’t come mixed in water. That’s a conscious choice on our behalf.

Why?

Well, because shipping water isn’t the most sustainable practice. As the Guardian states,

… the long-term impacts of bottling and transporting water….are doing more damage than we realize

So, we decided to go a different route, with dried powders.

You’ll find that our efficient drying methods allow our products to yield a longer shelf-life, as opposed to if they came pre-mixed with water. Products that last longer are much better for the environment than compared to those that expire quickly. That just contributes to the massive amount of waste that piles up.

Cutting Out Plastic Scoops

A couple of months ago, we decided we could do more. So, we took a small yet necessary step: we took out our plastic scoops, lowering our contributions to waste. It may sound minimal, but it has decreased our footprint and we’re happy about that.